The cost of solar power has decreased significantly in the past year and the installation costs have become affordable for every home. The panels can either be fixed on the roof or placed in the ground. The main advantage of the fixed one is that it provides stable energy even when the sun isn’t shining. This article will discuss how to sell solar power back to the grid.
Step one: Take advantage of government subsidies
The government provides various rebates and subsidies for purchasing solar power. Most notably, there is the Solar Investment Tax Credit, which is a 30% investment tax credit on solar panels purchased after June 30, 2010. This credit will reduce your taxable income by about 30% and enables you to purchase a much pricier panel than you otherwise could have afforded. In addition, you can use the federal solar renewable energy tax credit in combination with the state ITC to further reduce your tax burden. The individual state ITCs range from 5% to 30% of the purchase price of the PV system and the federal ITC reduces your taxes by 7% to 30% of the PV system’s cost. These government benefits make investing in solar power much cheaper than traditional forms of energy generation.
Step two: Find a partner
Installing solar power is a great way to reduce your energy costs but it’s not for everyone. You need to be in a position to pay off the investment and have someone to sell energy to. In the past, this would have meant contracting with a utility company but with the advancements in technology, there are now many different partners you can work with to make this a viable option.
The first step is to evaluate the market for solar energy in your area and determine how much capacity you will need. The next step is to examine the various contracts that exist within your state and nation to determine which one is best for you.
Step three: Build a case
Once you’ve decided which contract to pursue, you can begin to build a case for it. Begin by documenting all of your current energy costs and expenses. From there, you can develop a plan to reduce them and a logical argument as to why this particular plan will work best for you.
This plan should detail all of the various ways you will implement the project and include both short- and long-term objectives. Be sure to include any relevant data, such as the estimated savings you expect to see and how much energy you will be producing.
Step four: Take your time
Selling solar power isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme; it takes time to see results. You should plan to install solar power in stages so that you can better track your progress and ensure that you are maintaining adequate production levels. This means that you should expect to spend more time than you would typically on tasks such as construction and installation. However, the benefits of reduced energy bills and increased resourcefulness are more than worth the extra effort.